Milwaukee City Wire

Following a 10-day break, the Milwaukee women's tennis team is set to travel to Florida for a series of matches during their spring break. The Panthers will compete at the United States Tennis Association Center in Orlando, with matches scheduled from Tuesday through Thursday.

The USTA National Campus is known as the largest tennis facility in the country, featuring 100 courts and various developmental programs. It spans 64 acres and includes multiple types of courts, making it a hub for players at all levels.

Milwaukee's opponents include Connecticut on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., Morgan State on Wednesday at 7 a.m., and New Jersey Institute of Technology on Thursday at 5 p.m. This trip marks first-time meetings with two of these teams; only Connecticut has faced Milwaukee before, with the Panthers losing their sole encounter in March 2000.

Connecticut's team made history last spring by reaching the Big East semifinals for the first time. They ended that season with a record of 13-8 and have started this season strong with an overall record of 10-2. "Glenn Marshall is in his 33rd year leading the program," noted their coach’s long tenure.

Morgan State, under fifth-year head coach Matt Townes, has shown improvement recently despite a challenging previous season. They currently hold a record of 3-6 this spring but have secured recent victories over Hartford CC and Johns Hopkins.

New Jersey Institute of Technology began their season well but had an eight-match winning streak broken by Harvard earlier this month. Their head coach Patricia Piorkowski McDonald led them to an impressive record last year.

Milwaukee player Nikola Nikolajeva has been pivotal in recent matches, earning Horizon League Singles Player of the Week honors after significant wins against Western Illinois and Whitewater. Her performance contributed to Milwaukee's first-ever victory over Marquette earlier this year.

The Panthers have high expectations for this season under second-year head coach Mark Goldin. After finishing last season as No.4 seed in their league tournament, they are eager to improve further this year.

The current roster includes players from seven countries, featuring both experienced returners like Nadiia Konieva and promising freshmen such as Nikola Nikolajeva.

After their Florida trip, Milwaukee will begin Horizon League play by hosting Oakland on March 29.